Collapse City, Starting by Making an Anime Version of Honkai

Kiana and Cecilia's retreating figures began to distort, the surrounding scenery turning pitch black. Sirin gritted her teeth, watching the screen monitoring Ziegfried and Cecilia.

Because of the Feather of the Wind's uncooperativeness, Sirin's wishes were not fulfilled.

Looking at the beautiful scene before her, Sirin couldn't help but fall into thought.

"A normal and happy family..."

"If only we hadn't encountered the Collapse, if only Mom hadn't died..."

"Then, could I have had this kind of happiness too?"

"Sirin looks so pitiful, Miss Fairy really wants to hug her," Elysia said with concern.

Sirin, whom Elysia was thinking of, was in Cecilia's arms.

Chapter 42: Drowning in Her Own Illusion

[While Kiana's family, plus Theresa, celebrated Kiana's sixteenth birthday, beneath the joyful and happy atmosphere, Sirin's emotions were breaking down in the shadows.

"I will definitely destroy your happiness!"

Sirin tightly gripped the Feather of the Wind, glaring fiercely at the screen before her. But when she saw the smile on Kiana's face, even though she knew it was an illusion, her heart couldn't help but ache.

"...Birthday cake..., it reminds me of Mom..."

Sirin's stunned expression, the loneliness in her eyes, made one's heart ache.]

The audience, who had initially smiled at the warmth of Kiana's family, stopped when they saw Sirin's dejected state.

Slowly cutting flesh was far more painful than a sharp blade.

"Sirin is just a 16-year-old girl..." Sakura sighed, noting the girl was barely older than her own sister.

The development of the plot, the horror of the Herrschers, had made people forget Sirin's age. If not for Destiny's deception, if not for the terrifying experiments, Sirin would have just been a 16-year-old girl longing for a mother and for love.

"The more I think about it, the angrier I get! It's all Destiny's researchers' fault!" Kitty clenched her fists, puffing out her cheeks.

"Hmph!"

Kalpas's cold snort startled everyone, who feared he might break the other armrest.

"Are you not afraid your niece will throw a tantrum when she sees this when you get back?" Vill-V asked Yaqing curiously.

"I... I don't think so." Yaqing suddenly recalled a time when he took his nieces out shopping, one lying on the floor crying and throwing a fit, while the other stomped her feet, refusing to move.

[As if possessed, using the feathers of the Feather of the Wind, Sirin disguised the Herrscher's armor into a black sailor uniform and approached the door of Kiana's family in the illusion.

"Who are you?"

Ziegfried opened the door, looking at the girl outside and asking her purpose in confusion. He had no memory of Sirin.

Just as Sirin was about to directly attack and destroy this "boring" illusion, Cecilia's displeased voice came from inside. She suspected Ziegfried had drunk too much, to the point of not recognizing his other daughter.

"Here, Sirin, this is Kiana's birthday cake."

"I specifically saved a piece for you."

Looking at the piece of birthday cake Cecilia brought, Sirin's ruthlessness was completely destroyed by Cecilia's gentleness. She felt a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time and, for a moment, acted like a wronged little beast.

Sirin picked up a small piece of cake with her fork and put it in her mouth. The cake was sweet, but a tear silently rolled down Sirin's pretty face. She remembered her mother; it was the first time she had eaten cake, and it tasted like this.

"It's getting late."

"Get some rest, Sirin."

Cecilia gently stroked Sirin's head.

Under Cecilia's gentle assault, Sirin could no longer hold back, only wiping away her tears with her arm to prevent them from falling on the floor.]

"Mom..."

Vulnerability is the emotion that elicits the most empathy.

And when coupled with the knife of family affection, it's like every stab hits its mark.

Sirin, feeling a sense of shared experience, nestled into Cecilia's embrace and whispered, "Mom, I want to eat cake."

"Buy it, have Ziegfried go buy it now!" Cecilia glanced at Ziegfried.

Receiving his wife's command, Ziegfried forgot about the movie and quickly got up, jogging outside to call his subordinate to order a large cake and to pick it up himself.

[Under the light, a silhouette appeared before a door with a purple cartoon wooden sign labeled "Sirin." Ziegfried's muttering could be heard. He paused for a moment before silently walking away.

"I remember now, this is Sirin's room."

"Sirin is my and Cecilia's second daughter. It seems I drank too much; how could I not recognize her..."]

"So Sirin is also Mom's daughter in the story, but it's a shame it's just an illusion..." Kiana couldn't stand seeing those around her suffer, even her difficult older sister. Perhaps this was kindness.

"Are you not afraid Grandpa will give you trouble for writing Yaqing like this?"

The more tragic Sirin became, the more people empathized, and the more they hated Destiny in the story. Theresa thought of this, as Yaqing's plot development was quite slanderous.

"I'd like to know too," Bronya sighed. She truly didn't understand Yaqing Schariac, a director of Destiny, using Destiny's resources and company to create Anti-Entropy, which fights for humanity.

Is this something a person would come up with?

[Inside the room, Sirin lay on the bed, reflecting. Why? Why, even though she knew they weren't her parents, could she not bring herself to kill them?]

When Sirin's gaze turned fierce again.

"Sirin, don't be angry, your dad just drank too much today."

Cecilia sat next to Sirin, gently patting her back with a very soft tone.

"I'm sorry, we've been so busy preparing for Kiana's birthday these past few days, we've left you lonely."

Cecilia hugged Sirin from behind.

"Today, let Mom hold you while we sleep."

That warm embrace made Sirin unable to resist sinking into it once more.

The next day, Sirin threw off the covers, shocked that she had actually fallen asleep last night, and slept so soundly. She hadn't slept like that since that experiment.

"Come, Sirin, time for breakfast~"

Cecilia pushed open the door, holding the breakfast she had prepared. As Sirin ate her sandwich, Cecilia suddenly asked her to go shopping with her, and Sirin was stunned.

A few days later, a weary Ziegfried finished his day's work and was on his way home when he passed a convenience store. He saw the Ahalato collaboration chocolates on the shelf and remembered that Sirin and the others liked this kind.

"Who are you?"

"I think I've seen you before."

The chocolate in Ziegfried's hand vanished into data, and the surrounding scene also disappeared. The man before him was Welt Yang, whose consciousness was bound to Sirin.

"Ziegfried, your life is so happy and fulfilling."

"For you, is this a sweet dream or a nightmare? Open your eyes and see which is the reality you are protecting."

Ziegfried reached out, "Wait, who exactly are you?!"

When Ziegfried opened his eyes again, he was back in the convenience store, leaning against a shelf. The chocolate lay at his feet.

"Welt is still in C!" Kiana exclaimed in surprise.

"This time, she won't die, will she?" Theresa said strangely.

"It's hard to say," Himeko mumbled groggily.

"That's my doll," Bella pointed to the plush toy on Sirin's bedside table when she slept. Even in the illusion, Sirin had her company.

"That doll is so cute!" Sirin's golden eyes turned into starry eyes, and she looked at Cecilia and asked, "Mom, is Uncle planning to sell merchandise? Can... can you..."

Sirin suddenly felt too embarrassed to finish.

A mother knows her child best. Cecilia naturally understood Sirin's meaning. She stroked her soft purple hair and smiled, "Then you'll have to go tell your uncle yourself."

"Mmm..."

Cecilia and Sirin happily shopped at the mall, while Ziegfried, looking utterly dejected, followed behind the two carrying a large pile of bags. This was very much in line with his real-life persona. Sirin was initially very quiet, but when Cecilia handed her an ice cream, she took a bite and her mood finally lifted.

After shopping all day, Sirin and Cecilia were very excited, but Ziegfried felt like he was about to die of exhaustion. Seeing his wife and daughter walk into a clothing store, he finally felt like he could rest for a while.

Sirin happily showed Cecilia her fashion show, seemingly forgetting her original purpose, which was to destroy their happiness. When Cecilia suggested hugging Sirin, she only vaguely remembered.

"Don't hug me, I don't want to be hugged."

"Hehe, I know, you're just shy."

As Sirin turned around, Cecilia wore an unmentionable expression.

Chapter 43: Ich liebe dich

Ziegfried, slumped on a semicircular seat in the mall, suddenly recalled the strange man he met at the convenience store a few days ago. What did he mean by "the reality that should be protected"?

"What am I even thinking..." Ziegfried chuckled self-deprecatingly. "To have such a happy and fulfilling family, I'm very content."

"Even if the real world is heading towards destruction step by step?"

Welt Yang appeared before Ziegfried once again.

Just as Ziegfried was about to ask about the man's identity, the scene around him suddenly flickered like a stutter, shifting between the warm-toned mall and the cold-toned burning frozen land.

"Ziegfried, the longer you stay here, the more dangerous reality becomes."

"Or perhaps you intend to give up fighting and drown in this false dream?"

Welt's powerful voice echoed in Ziegfried's ears. When he looked at his right hand, it had transformed into a Honkai Beast form again. Under his cold blue pupils, Ziegfried, who was on the verge of enlightenment, was interrupted by a huge explosion.

"BANG!!!"

The large floor-to-ceiling window behind Ziegfried shattered in the explosion, and he instinctively ducked, covering his head.

Meanwhile, Sirin faced shards of glass falling from the cracked dome. Confident in her Herrscher abilities, she didn't bother to dodge. However, she heard Cecilia's cry and froze.

She saw Cecilia, ignoring the scratches on her face, shield her with her body and whisper comfortingly in her ear, "Don't be afraid, Mom will protect you."

"Ich liebe dich, Sirin."

In the hospital, Ziegfried was listening to the doctor's analysis of his wife and daughter's injuries. Cecilia and Sirin sat on chairs in the hallway. Leaning against Cecilia, Sirin clenched her fist unwillingly.

"Once again, she held me."

"Why is her embrace always so warm, and yet gives me a sense of security..."

"Mom..."]

"Cecilia is such a gentle person. She can even influence a Herrscher. Truly, truly, truly, I really want to get to know her!" Elysia clasped her hands together, rubbing them.

Mobius was too tired to argue with her anymore.

"If Cecilia were to truly influence Sirin, the story would have a bad ending," Su analyzed rationally based on the plot's direction.

What Su said wasn't unreasonable. Many movies nowadays force a happy ending, and most of them are heavily criticized for it.

"Why would it be a bad ending~" Elysia said. "Don't you want them to continue living happily ever after? I hate tragedies the most!"

Yaqing silently looked away, "seriously" appreciating the movie.

Mobius, who had been observing Yaqing's expression, instantly understood.